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Liam Burke
|image = Liam burke.png |alias = Golden Boy, Fixer |age = |born = |death = October 10th, 2016''Quantum Break:'' Act 5, Part 1: Monarch HQ |status = Deceased |cause of death = Shot by Carlo; blood loss (Determinant), Shot by Martin Hatch (Determinant) |relatives = Emily Burke (wife), Unborn child |occupation = Monarch Security officer |affiliation = Monarch Solutions |locations = Burke Residence, Riverport, |weapons = Handgun, Assault Rifle |gender = Male |nationality = American |height = 6′0″ |hair = Blonde |eyes = Blue |first appearance = Act 1, Part 1: Riverport University Experiment |last appearance = "The Lifeboat Protocol" (Determinant), Act 5, Part 1: Monarch HQ (Determinant) |actor = Patrick Heusinger |model = Patrick Heusinger |motion = Patrick Heusinger }} Liam Burke was the husband of Emily Burke and member of Monarch Solutions's security detail. Liam worked closely alongside Martin Hatch and was not only considered Hatch's "golden boy", but the elite of Monarch's paramilitary organization. During the events of October 2016, Liam was involved in the capture of Jack Joyce during Monarch's acquisition of the Riverport University time machine. When he learned of the Lifeboat Protocol from Beth Wilder, Liam attempted save his wife and their unborn child from the End of Time. Biography Early Life At an undetermined point in time, Liam left Riverport, and served overseas in the military. When he returned, his skills as a soldier left him unable to find a suitable job. He was later approached by Monarch Solutions, and was recruited to their cause, his skills as a soldier useful to them.Quantum Break: "Deception"Liam: "I never felt good doing this. But, it's the only thing I knew how to do. And when I got back, I couldn't find anything. I couldn't find anything to do and Monarch, they found that useful and they put me to work." Monarch Training When Liam began training in the Striker program, he was informed of partial details regarding the nature of stutters, the time machine and how Chronon powered harnesses would allow Striker units to function within Zero State.Liam Burke psych evaluation Liam worked closely with Martin Hatch and Clarice Ogawa, who took particular interest in his progress. Liam proved himself capable of killing without question or qualm and willing to follow orders when given.RE: Liam Burke's Status During that time, Liam became familiar with Beth Wilder, a mid-level security operative working for Monarch. Meeting Emily Though performing admirably for Monarch, Liam began to resent being alone. He started visiting a bar every Tuesday and Wednesday, whenever a young woman (who was attending school at the time) worked then. It was at the bar that he encountered Emily, a nurse who worked at Riverport Hospital. Liam wanted to ask her out but always hesitated to do so. It took Liam a year before he finally decided to approach Emily. Some time afterward, they began a relationship and were married. Liam kept his personal life and his life with Monarch Solutions separate. He told Emily that he worked as a field manager for the corporation. During July 2016, Liam and Emily conceived their first child. Removal from the Striker Program When Hatch realized that Liam had become emotionally attached to Emily and learned of her pregnancy, he had Liam removed from the Striker program before he could learn of the End of Time scenario and the Lifeboat Protocol. Hatch, however, kept Liam on as a security officer working under him. Clarice argued to have Liam brought into their fold as he had proven himself a valuable asset. Hatch, however, explained that Liam's attachment to his wife and unborn child made him more of a liability than an asset as he was no longer willing to simply follow orders given, now that he had their wellbeing to consider. Despite the freedoms that came with working with Hatch, Liam was limited in what he could know and where he could go in Monarch. He began to grow anxious from being kept in the dark and attempted to learn more about his situation. Preparing for the University Operation As Monarch Solutions began prepping for the University operation that would take place October 9th, 2016, Liam anxieties about what the corporation was preparing for, grew. He attempted to be direct and inquired for more information from Hatch and, later, Paul Serene.FWD: Monarch concerns He received no information from either, and his fellow security officers with higher clearance also refused to divulge details. Familiar enough with Beth, Liam contacted her through company email. In his e-mail, he explained his suspicions about the fragmented information concerning the specific dates for the fracture in time. On Hatch's orders, Liam revoked William Joyce's security clearance within the Meyer Physics Research Center's Project Promenade Lab area.RE: WILLIAM JOYCE CLEARANCE On October 8th, 2016, Liam worked with Prowler Squad. Monarch Security set up a perimeter around the university campus to ensure plans went accordingly and prepared to extract the time machine core.University Operation During the Anti-Monarch Protests, organized by Amy Ferrero, Liam kept a close eye on civilian activity.FWD: Library protest Hatch suggested sending Liam into the university to apprehend Jack and William Joyce after the fracture occurred, but the request was denied.Quantum Break: Act 5, Part 2: Return to the University Events of Quantum Break Act 1 During the early morning of October 9th, 2016, Liam kept a close eye on the physics center. As the protests began to shut down, Liam encountered Jack as he approached the building. He mistook Jack for a student and told him to go home. Jack explained he wasn't there for the protest and makes a jibe at his status as security.Quantum Break: Act 1, Part 1: Riverport University Experiment Irritated, Burke brushed him off. Jack, knowing he was security, asked where his uniform was. Liam attempted twice to warn him off with intimidation, which was met with Jack's sarcasm before he departed to enter the building.Quantum Break - Jack meets Liam Burke When the fracture time occurred at 4:15AM, Liam worked with Prowler Squad to apprehend civilian witnesses on campus grounds. During that time, he and the rest of the populace present were caught in a brief stutter. During Jack and William Joyce's escape, Jack spotted Liam arresting Nick Marsters, who attempted to resist Liam as he was apprehended. Later, Liam headed for the university's underground parking lot when the core extraction teams was downed by Jack Joyce of October 10th, 2016. Liam explained he was there on Hatch's orders to help round up the witnesses. After obtaining the gate code to head above ground, he completed the apprehension of the witnesses. Liam regrouped with what remained of the security team at the Riverport Library. When the structure was destroyed and William Joyce was assumed dead in the explosion, Liam knocked Jack Joyce out with a rifle after Jack attempted to attack Paul Serene. With Joyce unconscious, Liam took him to a transport and had him taken to the Industrial Area. Liam joined Monarch Security there, and brought Amy Ferrero forward to be presented to Serene.Quantum Break: Junction 1: Hardline/PR |-|Hardline= Serene decided that the "Hardline Protocol" was to be taken and the witnesses needed to be eliminated to ensure that their plan was not hindered. Liam was ordered by Hatch to take Amy and the other witnesses to the Ground Zero area and dispose of them there. Liam acknowledged the order and followed the rest of the security officers to the Ground Zero operation. |-|PR= When Paul decided to use the media to keep the public on their side, Hatch informed Liam that Amy Ferrero was not to be killed, but used as the face of their PR campaign. "Monarch Solutions" Inside the Industrial Area Interrogation Room, Liam observed Hatch's interrogation of Amy alongside Gibson and Carlo.Quantum Break: "Monarch Solutions" |-|Hardline= Hatch demanded to know the names of the witnesses who were present during their operation at the university. When Amy refused to cooperate with him, Hatch assured her that she would be killed once he left room. When Hatch departed, Liam watched with discomfort as Gibson pulled his gun on Amy and shot her twice in the head. Bothered by his reaction, Gibson demanded to know what was wrong with him. Liam ignored him and left the interrogation room for a moment to himself. |-|PR= Amy was given a moment to consider her fate before Hatch presented information that made it clear that Monarch was willing to kill her family if she didn't cooperate. When Hatch suggested her family would be left alone, Amy complied to helping them. On Hatch's order, Liam removed her cuffs and departed from the room after Hatch. A moment later, Liam is approached by Hatch, who relayed that his work to capture Jack Joyce had been undone with the disappearance of his transport. When Liam questioned how it happened, Hatch dismissed the question and ordered him to focus on finding the missing transport after Charlie Wincott located it. Noting Liam's discontent, Hatch asked what was wrong. Reluctantly, Liam admitted that the operation at the university had gone poorly. Hatch remarked that not all of Liam's operations have gone according to plan and ordered him to go home and wait for the call from Wincott, assuming that his wife was likely missing him. Reminded of Emily, Liam checked his phone and discovered that he missed three of her calls. Back home, Liam changed his clothes in the car and hid his gun in the glove compartment before entering the house. Inside the house, he found Emily sitting on the bed. By way of explanation, he told her things were becoming difficult at work and apologized for not being home sooner. Emily expressed her concern about his being absent from home for two days when he told her that he had to return to work soon. Liam attempted to diffuse the situation by teasing her and speaking to their unborn child. Their moment is interrupted by the call from Wincott, who successfully located Joyce's transport near the Ground Zero perimeter. Reluctantly, he left the house and he was caught in a momentary stutter. Afterward, when he arrived at the Industrial Area Warehouse where the transport was located, Liam entered and found Beth Wilder was behind the transport's disappearance. Beth attempted to explain her situation, but Liam wouldn't give her the chance and ordered her to stand down. Before either of them can act, another stutter occurs. Without their knowledge, Jack regained consciousness, took both their guns and left the area. When the stutter ended, Liam realized what happened and demanded to know what was going on. Beth explained that the End of Time was coming and Monarch was somehow able to prepare for it. They could stop it, but Joyce was likely the only person who could help them do it. Before Liam can ask more, the two are confronted by Commander Brown, who accused them of helping Jack escape and kill his men. With little alternative, Liam complied with Brown's orders to surrender. When Beth believed it would be certain death for them if they surrendered to Brown, Liam capitalized on Brown's attention being diverted by Beth and attacked. After Brown and his squad were taken out, Beth sets Liam on a trail to gain access to Henry Kim's lab. Believing he could trust Charlie Wincott, Liam entered Monarch HQ and lied about being reassigned to Gull Island by Hatch and asked for access to Kim's lab. Charlie called Liam's bluff, revealing the partial video of his assisting Beth in taking out Brown and his squad. Charlie contacted building security and warned them of Liam, forcing Liam to escape before they could arrest him. Monarch Security pursued Liam through the city until they cornered him in an alley. With no options, Liam surrendered and was arrested. Act 2 During Jack's escape through the industrial area, most security operatives under Clarice Ogawa's command assumed that Liam was still pursuing Jack. Clarice was informed by Charlie that Liam had attacked Brown's squad, with the suggestion that he may have assisted Jack.Internal Monarch Comms 1Quantum Break: Act 2, Part 1: Industrial Area Clarice later contacted Hatch about Liam's actions, agreeing with the idea that Liam's loyalties were more fickle than originally assumed. However, she did not believe he was acting on needs, but selfish ones.Quantum Break:'' Act 2, Part 2: Ground Zero "Prisoner" Following his arrest, Liam was brought to Gull Island. During his transit to the Monarch Security Station, Jack --- who surrendered himself to Serene earlier that day --- was placed in the same transport as Liam. Joyce sarcastically thanked Liam for the gun he took from him in the Industrial Area, but Liam chose not to respond to the jibe.Quantum Break: "Prisoner" Liam was taken to separate holding cell than Jack. Desperate to escape, Liam pestered Crocker, the officer guarding his cell, until he got a response. Liam promised to help Crocker climb the social ladder of Monarch if he let him out to use the bathroom. Crocker ordered him against the wall as he opened the door, but failed to act quick enough to prevent Liam from knocking him out. Escaping the security station, Liam proceeded to head for Henry Kim's lab. When he crossed paths with Charlie Wincott and Fiona Miller, Fiona revealed that she was working with Beth Wilder and was also searching for the Lifeboat Protocol like he was. The two forced Charlie to get them into Kim's lab. Once inside, they discovered Dr. Kim had not diedDr Kim Memorial Article but had become a Shifter, something Liam had only ever heard of beforehand. After Fiona learned from Sofia Amaral's research that the stutters were increasing and the End of Time was approaching quicker than they anticipated, their presence was discovered by security. During their escape, Fiona was trapped in a stutter. Liam was able to retrieve three Chronon harnesses for them to use. While Liam was preoccupied with fighting off the Strikers, Charlie escaped, taking with him the two harnesses meant for Liam and Fiona. When the stutter ended, Liam and Fiona were able to escape the lab. Act 3 By the time the Monarch gala began, Liam's security access had been revoked. Hatch contacted all relevant security officers on the island and warned them that Liam was now a hostile and caused considerable damage to their plans. In addition, he was no longer an authority within their ranks and any orders from Liam were to be ignored.Instructions for tonightQuantum Break: Act 3, Part 1: Research Facility "Deception" Liam and Fiona cross paths with Charlie again during the hacker's attempt to return to the mainland, using the path Hatch directed him toward. Charlie explained that he believed that Liam and Fiona were telling the truth about the End of Time and the Lifeboat. Liam demanded that Charlie get him on the list. When Charlie began to refuse to cooperate, Liam punched him in the throat and threatened to kill him if he got in the way of protecting his wife and didn't do as he was told. Charlie led them through the tunnels to the mainland. Fiona and Liam discussed Emily and her pregnancy when another stutter occurred. While Liam and Fiona were momentarily frozen in time, Charlie considered leaving them behind but decided not to. When the stutter ended, Liam realized they were walking under the bay. The explosion in Kim's lab caused the tunnels to flood. Liam led Charlie and Fiona out of the tunnel and out in open. Assuming they were safe, Liam prepared to plan their next move when he was shot in the back by Carlo. He was assumed dead by Carlo, who was informed by Gibson that his wife was a nurse. When Carlo expressed joy at the prospect of killing Emily, Liam drew the knife from his boot and slit his throat. Liam shot Carlo three times and made his way from the outskirts into the city. When he arrived at the hospital he found Emily speaking with Gibson. A concerned Emily attempted to approach him, but was halted by Gibson. Liam tried to get Emily leave with him without incident, but he was attacked by Gibson. The two fought until Liam was able to best him when he choked Gibson to death with a power cord. His actions terrified his wife and caused her to run. Liam chased after her and prevented her escape. Liam tried to explain his actions in the hospital were to protect her. He asked that she allow him to protect her from what was coming and would explain everything on the way to Monarch HQ. Emily agreed and the two departed from the hospital. Act 4 |-|PR= Monarch arrived to the scene of the hospital long after Liam and Emily had escaped.Transcript of Monarch Communications Security officers investigating learned that Liam had killed Gibson and "was in the wind". They could not locate him or his wife. Amy Ferrero was able to record the transmission and printed it out for Jack and Beth to read.Quantum Break: Act 4, Part 2: Preparing the Time Machine When Jack asked whether or not they could trust Liam, Beth remained uncertain and remarked that the jury was still out on Liam.Monarch Employee Chart "The Lifeboat Protocol" Using Emily's car, Liam and Emily headed for Monarch HQ. When she asked, Liam explained his plan was to get them to the Lifeboat. Approaching a security checkpoint, Liam ignored the warnings of his wife and drove her car through the checkpoint. From there, they proceeded on foot to get inside the building.Quantum Break: "Lifeboat Protocol" He protected her against several Monarch soldiers that attacked them outside, killing almost all of them with a single shot. Emily followed Liam into the building's stairwell. They were attacked again, but Liam managed to kill them and prevent any harm from befalling Emily. |-|Control= Out of the stairwell and on the first level of Monarch HQ, Liam and Emily were confronted by Paul Serene. When asked, Liam replied that he and Serene had met before. Recognizing Liam as one of Monarch's best soldiers, Serene understood that Liam wanted to protect what was his, not unlike he did. Serene asked Liam to protect the CFR, the reason the Lifeboat Protocol was able to exist at all, from their enemies. Serene allowed Liam time to make up his mind, Liam asked Emily to follow Serene down to the Lifeboat and told her that he would find her once everything was over. After Emily and Serene departed, Liam struggled to get to the top of the tower, his injuries taking their toll. He arrived inside the CFR Chamber just as Charlie lowered the defenses of the chamber. Charlie attempted to convince Liam that Jack could fix the fracture with the CFR, but Liam remained doubtful. Charlie attempted to get Liam to see the bigger picture, explaining that if Jack could fix the fracture, both Emily and the world would be safe. Charlie was shot in the head by Hatch and Liam took cover immediately when Hatch began firing on him. Discarding his empty gun, Liam attacked Hatch, preventing him from taking the CFR. Though he was momentarily overpowered, Liam was able use his knife to stab Hatch through the eye, killing him. With little time before Jack appeared, Liam donned a Striker suit and proceeded to guard the CFR chamber. |-|Surrender= Out of the stairwell and on the first level of Monarch HQ, Liam and Emily took cover behind a pillar when they heard someone disembark from a nearby elevator. When Liam realized it was Charlie, he stepped out from behind his cover and accused Charlie of betraying him three times over. When he reminded Charlie that he was supposed to get him and Emily on the list, Charlie argued that the situation was different and that he had to help Jack Joyce access the CFR to fix the fracture. Liam prepared to kill Charlie but hesitated when Emily spoke his name in warning. Charlie argued that the Lifeboat Protocol was not the answer to saving his wife, but helping Jack was the better bet since Serene appeared to have lost his mind. Reluctantly, Liam agreed to help Charlie and threatened to kill him if he was wrong. When they reached the CFR chamber, Liam and Emily can waited for Charlie to deactivate the chamber's defenses. Paying no attention to his surroundings, Liam was unaware of Hatch's arrival until he was warned by Emily. When he turned, Liam was ordered by Hatch to drop his weapon. Liam complied and was immediately shot in the stomach. When he tried to reach for his gun, Hatch shot him in the back. After Hatch kicked his weapon aside and approached Charlie, Emily moved to Liam out of sight. At the back of the CFR Chamber, Liam began to hyperventilate and apologized for his actions. He told Emily that everything he did was for their relationship and what he thought they could be. Before dying, he expressed to Emily regret for hesitating an entire year before finally speaking to her, and would've given anything to have that year back to change things. Act 5 |-|Control= By the time Jack arrived at the top of the tower, Liam's blood loss from the injury sustained from Carlo's gunshot was beginning to take its toll on him. Realizing that Jack was approaching the CFR chamber, Liam attempted to warn him away. Jack ignored him and entered the chamber, unimpressed that only one Striker was there to stop him. Hearing Liam's labored breathing, Jack believed Liam wasn't in any shape to fight him. Ignoring the comment, Liam uttered Emily's name and attacked Jack. Using the chronon harness, Liam attempted to fight Jack off with little success. Eventually his harness was damaged by Jack and began to malfunction. Unable to breathe through his mask, Liam ripped it off and fell to the ground, unable to stand upright. Jack warned him to stay down and stop fighting. Liam persisted, declaring he had too much riding on his defeating Jack to give up. Liam was barely able to raise his gun before his harness failed and he was trapped in a stutter. During his interview with Clarice, Jack believed that Liam was just another among the countless Monarch employees that had been manipulated by Serene into believing that what they were doing was the right thing. Clarice comments that Liam had made his choice by fighting him, but Joyce believed Liam was an unnecessary casuality of Serene's ideas. |-|Surrender= When Jack arrived at the top of Monarch HQ's tower and met Charlie face-to-face, he was able to retrieve the Countermeasure. With the intention of using the time machine to save William, he headed for the elevator and spotted a body bag with Liam's name tagged on it. During his interview with Clarice, Jack deduced something "bloody" had occurred inside the CFR chamber and recognized Liam from earlier as the security guard he met at the physics building. When Clarice named the body and Jack asked what happened to him. Clarice told him that Liam had "met his match". Characteristics Personality Trained by the military, Liam is an exceptionally capable and coldly efficient soldier. He was willing to do what was asked of him regardless of legality. He doesn't let the idea of killing anyone bother him. Liam was often assigned to situations that required discretion and extreme action to be taken without hesitation. For a time, Liam was ultimately in his element within the uglier aspects of Monarch's operations, until he met and married Emily. His relationship with Emily filled the void in his life. He believed the idea of their relationship was strong enough to give him purpose where Monarch provided structure. With a child on the way, Liam's perspectives were altered. His priorities were halved between Monarch and his family, and during the shift, Liam developed minor problems with his work. However, operating from the point of view of a realist, all too aware of the world worked, Liam maintained his alliance to Monarch and compartmentalized his grievances. He was able to continue to kill for Monarch because his wife gave him a reason to keep going. Liam's loyalties were to his family first and Monarch second. As a result of his attachments, he was removed from the Striker program despite his exceptional skills, willpower and physical competence. It's suggested that Hatch manipulated Liam from that point onward, using his limited knowledge on what Monarch was truly preparing for to foster mistrust and paranoia. Once he learned of the End of Time and that his family would be left to the end result, Liam acted against Monarch's best interests out, convinced that the Lifeboat Protocol could save his family. From that point on, Liam’s only loyalty was to Emily and their unborn child. Even the face of revealing the truth about his double life to Emily, and the possibility of losing her because of it, Liam was willing to deal with the consequences if it meant they would be saved. Abilities As a Monarch security officer, Liam used his military training and excelled as a proficient manager of squads and a killer. He was held in high regard for his combat skills, but equally derided by his fellow officers for the favor he held with Monarch heads, like Martin Hatch. Some among Monarch Security believed that, because he was a proficient killer, he was only good as a "fixer" and was not necessarily suited for retrieval or extraction operations. Despite Liam's abilities, he did not take pleasure or enjoy his job in that regard. While lacking any Chronon active abilities, Liam could easily take out several squads of men in physical combat and firefights in close quarters. Death Liam Burke is a player determinant character. He is unique to other player determinant characters because he dies regardless of the choices the player makes. The "Surrender" option of the fourth junction will see him die explicitly in the forth and final episode of the television series. He is shot twice by Martin Hatch and bleeds out. However, if the "Control" option is chosen, Liam is still alive when his harness fails and he is trapped in a stutter. According to Quantum Break writer, Mikko Rautalahti, the narrative implication is that Liam is dying from the gunshot wound he sustained in "Deception" and was on his last leg when fighting Jack in Act 5, Part 1.@MikkiRMD: Did Liam die in Act 5? However, because Jack himself never sees Liam die during the fifth act, he was speaking more metaphorically than literally in his interview with Clarice Ogawa when referring to Liam as a "casualty" of Monarch. Gallery Trivia *Liam Burke is a central character in the ''Quantum Break'' television series. *In Act 2, Part 1, Liam and Beth's conversation from "Monarch Solutions" can be heard just as the stutter ends when Jack exits the warehouse. Notes References }} Category:Quantum Break Category:Quantum Break (TV series) Category:Characters Category:Determinant Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Monarch Solutions Category:Monarch Security Category:Monarch Solutions Employees Category:Enemies